So my 9 year old daughter has taken the bait. She is hooked on running. She has asked me for over a week now to wake up early and take her running with me. Truth be told, I go running first and after several miles, I come back and wake her up. However, we go running now most every morning. First observation is that she is doing better than I did when I first started out!
She is going through the same machinations that I did starting out. She has some new pains in her legs. Her shoes are not quite right. She has realized that her clothing is not suited for running in, her legs hurt in places she did not know she even had any muscles. She now knows what a quad is. In fact she knows exactly where that muscle is now, because it hurts!
What is cool, is that a 9 year old does not really have a filter yet. She says pretty much what her inner self is thinking. She will say things like, I am not a good runner. I am never going to be good at this. I am too slow. I am too tired. I am too cold. However, each and every time she has stuck with it and made her away around our 2 mile course. She does not run the whole way. It is more like a run, walk, run, walk, run concept. However, everyday she is getting better. A few days ago she was able to run 1/2 mile without stopping and then today she made it to 1/2 mile plus 6 10ths. Her goal right now is to get to the .75 mile mark.
What is interesting is that I am talking her through this. Helping her overcome her primal mind that is trying to discourage her. Due to the process that I have gone through, I know exactly what to say to help motivate her now. Lets just get to that lamp post over there then we can walk. Dad, I thought you said we could walk now, are you tricking me? Yes, I am tricking you. I am tricking your inner primal mind. You can go farther, you can improve, you can do this. So she continues to try. Sometimes very happy, other times discouraged. I am watching this all happen and marveling that I went through the exact same emotions. The exact same sequences and on the same course as well around the neighborhood.
We all have this inner 9 year old mind. It does not change when you get older. It is a pretty consistent voice, it is immature and out of control and easily influenced by emotions or unfavorable conditions. You are quite capable of holding a temper tantrum at 9, 30, 50 or even 70. The question is, can you recognize this part of your mind and keep it under control to meet your objectives? My 9 year old is learning, probably for the first time, to take control over this and bend her will against it and get to her goal of running that entire 2 mile track without stopping.
Just imagine what that will do for her confidence, her strength of will? What would it do for you to finally tell your 9 year old brat self to go on timeout while you do what you are supposed to do?
Guy Reams
